Fitness On The Beach

Nothing tops exercising outdoors. If you are fortunate enough to live near a large body of water, then you can use the first signs of warmer weather to replace the sweaty, smelly gym with sand under your feet. Best of all, outdoors exercise can be legitimately fun! Let’s face it, you feel great after working out, but gyms are dead boring without a gym buddy to slack with.

Barefoot Running

Sure, landing on a pebble hurts. Luckily, there are no pebbles on a sandy beach, where you can enjoy all the fun and benefits of running barefoot. While it is very common in Africa and Latin America, in Western countries, barefoot running has just started to grow in popularity. While footwear protects our feet from cuts and bruises, there are some indications that barefoot running reduces the risk of chronic injuries. And it actually burns more calories than running on hard surface. Mind though, if you have any foot-related problems, wear barefoot shoes. They provide the same feeling, while protecting your feet from injuries.

Horseback Riding

Few things in life can measure with a brisk gallop by the ocean waves. Such opportunities are rare, but there are still places in the world where you have long stretches of uninhabited beach with horseshoes tracks in the sand. Ireland is a world famous destination for beach horseback riding. You can also take your horse for swimming in Crete. The North Island of New Zealand has some wonderful beaches for horseback riding and the climate allows for this activity year round. Little known Mozambique has hundreds of miles of beach where you can often see people with horses.

Diving

Grab your scuba gear and take diving to the next level. It does not always have to be about watching the colorful coral reefs, tropical fish, and sea turtles. Why not speak whale with the real whales in Sri Lanka. Become a wreck explorer off Key West, Florida, where the 523-feet long USS Vandenberg is still waiting to be discovered. There are a lot of amazing destinations for scuba divers, but you can practice this demanding activity home whenever you want – except alone, or at night!

Water Skiing

There is something so exciting about gliding over the water on nothing more than a set of skis, holding onto a piece of rope behind a speeding boat. It has been an Olympic sport since 1972, and it popularity did not cease to grow ever since. It might take you 10 times to get up, but the persistence will pay off.

Paddle Boarding

These days, wherever you can find a body of water, you can find people paddleboarding. Why? First, because it does not require too much equipment, or skills. Secondly, because the vantage point just cannot be beat by a kayak or a boat. You will see fish and all kinds of sea life from the most incredible perspective. Plus, the landmarks are easier to spot from the deck of your paddleboard, which makes it safer than kayaking.